Launderable multiply fabric



`May 19, 1942,

Filed bet. 7, 195e F. R. REDMAN LUNDEBABITE MULTI-FLY FABRIC .Patented May 19,1942

UNITEI)` STATES PATENT OFFICE LAUNDERABLE MULTIPLI4 FABRIC Frank- R. -Redman,`Ya.i-dley, Pa., assignor to. Cluett, Peabody & Co., Inc., Troy, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 7, 1936, Serial No. 104,396

4 Claims.

This invention relatesto a new process of laminating fabrics or the like, and-to the product thereof. More specifically the invention relates to a new and improved method of producing a multi-.ply fabric wherein a sheet-like lm` of adhesive is employed as the bonding material, and to the product of such a method, which compris- -es a plurality of bonded or laminated fabric layers bonded together by means of of adhesive.' y r Objects of the invention are to provide an economical and easily performed method for `the lamination of a fabric or similar material to another suitable material; to provide such a method wherein a substantially permanent bond is effected; to provide such a method wherein'the bond is produced by the application of a relaa sheet or film tively small pressure and relatively low heat; to provide such a method wherein the use of an impregnated liner or similar element may be dispensed with, and to provide sich a method wherein the laminated plies may be subjected to kthe action of laundry fluids and to the heat incident to laundering without affecting the bond.

`Other objects of the invention are to provide a laminated fabric structure comprising a plurality of layers of fabric and a layer ofsheetlike-adhesive or cement; to provide such a structure wherein the bond between the fabric layers is substantially permanent; to provide such a structure as will withstand the action of the heat andcleansing fluids inlaundering; to provide such a structure comprising an adhesive-comprising a pigment; and to provide such a structure wherein no lining or other impregnated material is employed to produce the desired stillening of the lamination.

ployed as -stiffeners o r adhesives in the manufac-` ture of laminated fabrics. For example, synvthetic resins, cellulosic products and the like have been used, and mixtures of these materials have ,beenemployed Speaking generally, these mathereto to effect a satisfactory bond. Under these circumstances also the applied adhesive has penetrated deeply into the coated fabric, and

vin many cases the impregnation of the fabric by the adhesive has caused the destruction of the real textureland design of the cloth; This has been especially the `case where high pressures have been employed in the laminating process.

Where a lining material is employed, as in the manufacture of collars and the like, the material is impregnated o'r coated with the adhesive and then laminated with the outer llayers of Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. l The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relation of one or more of such steps with respect to leach of the others, and the article possessing the features, properties, and

the relation of elements, which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.v

For a fuller understanding ofthe nature and ,I

objects of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates in perspective a multi-ply fabric of the invention,

where I0 is one fabric layer, Il another fabric layer, and I2 the thermoplastic, sheet-like adhesive or cement.

Heretofore, various materials have been em- .square yard of a thermoplastic adhesive.

fabric under pressures which may amount vto -eighty pounds per square inch and in the pres..

ence of heat. Frequently, although a satisfactory bond may be effected where an adequate amount of adhesive is employed, the lining material may shrink to a different degree from that of the material employed .in the outer layers of fabric," resulting in the formation vof undesired wrinkles in the collar cloth. Furthermore, in all such types of lamination, i. e., where a paste-like adhesive or a solution of the adhesive is applied to a fabric and where it impregnatesthe fabric, the bond, while apparently satisfactory, will yield to a relatively slight pull.

I have found that where a lamination is effected by employing a sheet or film of adhesive, a far better bond is secured and the bond may be obtainedby employing relatively slight pressures and relatively low temperatures. Furthermore, only a relatively small amount of cement needbe employed. For example, if an impregnated lining cloth is employed, it may be necessary -to use from three to four ounces per Of this amount approximately two ounces enters into the lining cloth, leaving a relatively small amount of adhesive on each surface. I have found that while such an impregnated cloth may be employed to give fairly satisfactory results in the' I formation of a laminated4 fabric, far better results may be obtained by the use of a film r sheet adhesive weighing approximately two ounces per square yard. With such an adhesive positioned directly between the two layers of cloth to be laminated, a very satisfactory bond may be secured with the use of relatively light pressures and relatively low temperatures-[for narily employed in connection with handironing. Satisfactory bondshave beerrsecured employing th'e sheet or'lm-like adhesive .with pressures not exceeding eight pounds per square inch.

Where the laminated article is one subjected to laundering and the like, it has4 been found, where an impregnated lining is used in securing fio. example. the pressures and temperatures ordithe bond, that frequently spotty separations between the outer fabric and the lining arise Aduring laundering. This may be due to the fact that so much o'f the adhesive .has become impregnated into the'lining that there is an insuf-l ficient amount remaining on the surface to effect an adequate. bond. In anyevent, I have found that where a sheet or film-like Aadhesive is employed. no separation is apparent between the outer fabric and the lining even after repeated launderings.

acetate, and' preferably with the addition of ap-A l prcximatelytwo parts of any suitable plasticizer; (4)` a' mixture of equal Darts of vinyl acetate and acrylate preferablyV plasticized; (5) an` acrylate, preferably with about 20% of a plasticizer; (6). a

mixture of approximately four parts viny1`chloride, five parts of an acrylate, one part of vinyl acetate, and a suitable amount of, plasticizer; (7) a styrol, for example, a polystyrol, with approximately 20% to 30% plasticizer; (8,) mixtures of equal jparts of a styrol and vinyl acetate with a suitable amount of plasticizer; (9) -mixtures of equal parts of a styrol and an acrylate with a suitable amount of a plasticizer; (10) mixtures of approximately equal parts of vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, styrol and anacrylate with a suitable amount ofv plasticizer; (11) amixture of three parts of cellulose acetate to one part of vinyl acetate with, forexample, one part of a plasticizer; (12) a mixture offive parts of cellulose acetate, three parts of vinyl chloride, andv one and one-half parts of vinyl acetate with'approxlmately two parts of a suitable plasticizer.

Suitable plasticizers are dibutyl phthalate, vor,

'where cellulose acetate is employed, tricresyl It will b e obvious that other plasti,A

phosphate.

cizers may be employed. So also, lms or sheets comprising nitrocellulose and other thermoplastic cellulosic products may be employed, as may other mixtures of the vinyl compounds and their polymers. Itv will also be understood that pig- L all'matter contained in the above description crments may be advantageously added to thcadhesive, preferably pigments of the same color v as that of the fabricbeing laminated. The examples given'above are intendedto be illustrative only. Y

The adhesives are employed inv sheet form and the adhesive and the material to be laminated are preferably pre-cut to the desired form, then lbrought into contact and heatedjto apoint below the scorching point of the material but above the melting -point of the adhesive in the presenceof a relatively -light pressure, which mayV not exceed' two to five-v pounds per square inch. However, greater pressuresv may be employed if desired without detriment to the process or product of the invention. l

The sheet-like adhesive should preferably not only be thermoplastic at temperatures below the searching point-.of the fabricsemployed in the lamination, but lit should also be pliable'to an extent that it' doesnot break readily when handleci, i. e., it should preferably not be brittle,` and it should be non-tacky when dry, so that it does not stick` to the hands of the operators or tothe i tools employed in cutting and shaping the sheet before lamination.

Where the sheet adhesivel is to be employed in connection with fabrics subjected tolaunderi'ng,

it should preferably comprise materialsv such as i L' are already known to possess goodadhesive properties attheitemperature of boiling water, and vpreferably materials which d'o not changecolor in the 'presence of soaps and other substances used in laundering. An excellent adhesive for such purposes may'comprise a mixture of the conjoint polymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl ,ace-

tate with the simple polymer of vinyl acetatein the proportions shown, for example, in the rece-ntly issued patent to Freydberg, No. 2,053,773.

. While 4the process of theA present invention and the product thereof have been described primarily in connection `with the lamination of layers of fabric for use in connection -with such articles'- as collars and the like, where the article isV to be laundered and-at the same time retain its stiffness, the process has otherapplications. The use of a sheet-like adhesive in laminating mayl be' employed in connection ,with the lamination of fabric to leathenlor fabric to metal, as for exam.- ple in connection with automobile accessories.

l It will be obvious also that more' than two lay- VYers of fabric may be united., If, for example, a'v heavy stiff cloth is desired, three or more layers maybe joinedby the use of relativelythin films of sheet' adhesive therebetween.' For example.

under certain 'conditions it may be desirable to" employ al lining or stiffeningmember. Where `a sheet adhesive isemployed, the liner, with a sheet of the `adhesive on either side thereof, may be fed through a heated roller or otherwise subjected'to pressure, s o that the film vor sheet of adhesive adheres to each surface of the liner. This composite of liner or Vstilener with a film of adhesive adhering lightly to each surface-may then be employed in the manner heretofore explained'in the process of lamination with two fabricplies. With such a process a very satisfactorybo'nd is obtained, even though the amount of adhesive employedl may be less than half that formerly used.

y Since certain changes in carrying out the above I process, and certain modifications in the article which embody the invention may be madewithout departing from its scope, it is intended that shown f in .the accompanying drawing shall'be interpreted as allustratlve and not in a limiting sense. 4 v

' It is also to beurlerstood that the following claims are intendedto cover all the generidand speciofeatures of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A multi-ply fabric for use in articles subjected to laundering comprising a plurality of fabric plies having therebetween a preformed sheet of a thermoplastic adhesive comprising an acrylate adapted to retain its adhesive and color` properties at laundering temperatures and in the presence of laundering iuids, and adapted to be rendered thermoplastic at temperatures below the scorching point of said fabric, each of said plies and said therein between bonded sheet being permeable after laundering yto laundering fluids at laundering temperatures.

2. A multi-ply fabric for use in articles subjected to laundering comprising a plurality of fabric plies having therebetween a preformed sheet of a thermoplastic adhesive comprising a styrol, adapted to retain its adhesive and color properties at laundering temperatures and in the presence of laundering fluids, and adapted' to be rendered thermoplastic at temperatures below the scorching point of said fabric, each of said plies and said therein between bonded sheet' being permeable after laundering to laundering uids at laundering temperatures.

3. A multi-ply ,fabric for use in articles sub- .iected to laundering comprising a plurality of fabric plies having therebetween a preformed sheet of a thermoplastic adhesive comprising about equal parts of a styrol and vinyl acetate and being adapted. to retain its adhesive and color properties at laundering temperatures and in the presence of laundering fiuids, and adapted to be rendered thermoplastic at temperatures below the scorching point of said fabric, each of said -plies and said therein between bonded sheet being permeable after laundering to laundering `fluids at laundering temperatures.

` 4. A multi-ply fabric for use in articles sub jected to laundering comprising a plurality or' labric plies having therebetween a preformed sheet of a thermoplastic adhesive comprising a .i

mixture of about equal parts of vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, a styrol and an aerylate and being adapted to retain its adhesivevand color properties at laundering temperatures and in the presence of laundering uids, and adapted to be rendered thermoplastic at temperatures below the scorching point of said fabric,each of said plies' and said therein between bonded sheet being permeable after laundering to laundering uicls at laundering temperatures.

- R. REDMAN. 

